Looms



Sept. l, 1959 J. R. wALToN 2,902,058

LOOMS Filed Dec. l5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mag/W 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 1, 1959 J. R. WALTON LOOMS Filed Dec. 15, 1955 United States Patent LOOMS John Ridgway Walton, Longclilfe, Settle, England, assignor to Chicopee Manufacturing Corporation, a 'corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationV December 15, 1955, Serial No. 553,366

Claims priority, application Great Britain December '17, '1954 vl Claims. (Cl. 139-126) This invention relates to looms, and more particularly to improved weft supplying mechanism.

In known normal types of looms it is very often the case that the supply of weft material in the form of cop or pirn in carried by a shuttle or other weft inserting device (hereinafter called a weft carrier) through a shed opening which is formed by the healds raising every alternate warp thread to allow the weft carrier to pass between the raised and unraised warp threads.

This almost universal practice has a number of important disadvantages. These are:

(l) The supply of weft material must be specially wound onto pirns which are of suitable size to be housed in the weft carrier, and this generally involves the use of expensive machinery and an additional process in the operation of the loom.

(2) In an attempt to avoid frequent stoppages for replenishment of the weft supply, there has been a tendency towards making larger cops or pirns, but such a tendency has the serious drawback of requiring correspondingly larger weft carriers, which in turn require larger shed openings, and this results in a greater strain on the warp threads as they are raised by the healds and frequent breakages of the warp threads occur.

(3) With the increase in size of the weft carriers there is also an increase in their weight, and, therefore, a greater accelerating force is required to reciprocate the weft carriers across the raceboard with the result that picking mechanisms must be heavier and, therefore, more costly, and in view of the increased size and weight of the weft carriers more noise is incurred in the operation of the loom and wear of all the moving parts is correspondingly greater.

In order to overcome these disadvantages it is clearly necessary t-o provide a loom or weaving machine which can work from a stationary supply of weft material, normally supplied in cones or cheeses, and which will contain sufficient weft material for several hours running operation of the loom, the loom employing a weft carrier of small dimensions and small weight.

Various methods of attaining these conditions have been proposed but these suffer from a number of other disadvantages. In one of the proposed methods a long rapier-like probe is pushed through the shed opening in one direction and on its return stroke draws through the shed a loop of weft material. Looms operating in accordance with this method achieve the desired results of a large stationary weft supply and a small shed opening, but on the other hand they suffer from the disadvantages that a double pick fabric only can be produced, that there is no selvedge at one side of the fabric so produced, and that in view of the long movement of the rapier-like probe the length of the loom is increased and occupies extra floor space.

In another method devised to overcome the firstmentioned disadvantages very small weft carriers are used and are propelled through the shed in one direction each equipped with grippers which seize the free end of ICC a stationary weft supply and draw a length of weft through the shed opening. Fabric woven on a loom operating in this manner has open ended picks and suitable mechanism has to be provided to tuck the free ends of the picks into the next shed. A fabric thus produced has a thickened selvedge of double density, and before the fabric can be used this thickened selvedge must be cut olf and wasted. As the wasted part is of double thickness the amount of waste is considerable. Furthermore, the thickened selvedge prevents the threads in the fabric itself from being beaten-up tightly in the normal manner by the loom beating-up mechanism and, therefore, a loom of this type is only suitable for weaving relatively loose fabric.

The object of the present invention is to provide a loom capable of being supplied with weft material from a large stationary supply thereof, which employes weft carriers Aof small dimension and weight, requiring only small shed openings and is capable of producing perfectly Vnormal fabrics having normal selvedges. The loom provided by this invention is of universal usefulness, 'but is particularly useful when applied to the production of fabrics using coarse weft materials wherein a relatively small supply of weft material occupies a large space and, therefore, the problem of weft material replenishment is particularly acute.

A loom, according to the invention in its broadest aspect, is provided with a weft supplying mechanism comprising a plurality of weft carriers, each operating with a charge of a predetermined length of weft material, each having its charge replenished, without removal from the loom, when exhausted and whilst another charged weft carrier is operating.

A` loom also according to the present invention, is provided with a weft supplying mechanism comprising a plurality -of weft carriers, each adapted to carry a charge of a predetermined length of weft material, and each being, in turn, caused to traverse the warp a predetermined number of picks until its charge is exhausted and then to move to a reiilling station on the loom to have its'charge replenished from a source of weft material, the exhausted weft carrier being replaced by another charged weft carrier.

A loom, in a more narrow aspect of the invention, is provided with a weft supplying mechanism comprising a plurality of weft carriers, each adapted to carry a charge fof a predetermined length of weft material drawn from an individual supply therefor, each weft carrier being, in turn, caused to traverse the warp a predetermined number of picks dependent on the length of its charge of weft material, whilst the end of the length of the charge of weft material is connected to the supply therefor, automatic means for directing the weft carrier to a relling station when its charge is exhausted and for severing the connection between the weft it has just woven and the supply, automatic means for thereupon bringing into weaving operation another of the weft carriers which has been charged from its supply, and automatic means for replenishing the exhausted weft carrier with another charge of weft material from its supply whilst the other weft carrier is operating.

The refilling station preferably forms an extension of the loom slay or raceboard so that the weft carriers after exhausting their charge of weft material continue along the slay or raceboard beyond the extreme point reached in their reciprocatory movement, so that each weft carrier when at the refilling station is out of the path of the next operating weft carrier.

A supply of weft material is preferably provided on each side' of the loomand alternately operating weft carriers are charged respectively from each supply. The supply of weft material may be inany form but is preferably in the form of the usual cheeses or cones which are used in loom operation.

The means for moving each weft carrier to its refilling station preferably comprises a cam mechanism for causing automatic lengthening of the traverse of the weft carrier. Any other suitable mechanism` may, of course, be used instead of a cam mechanism.

Preferably the weft carriercomprises ahollow'tubular container having an orifice at one endthrough which the charge of weft material is drawn by suction, when' the weft carrier is at the refilling station, the arrangement being such that the severed end, from the supply of weft material, which is left on completion ofthe picks of a weft carrier is drawn by suction into the said'. weft carrier to commence the charging thereof. Meansv are preferably provided` for preventing a` weft carrierfin' the course of its weaving operation from drawing weft material from its supply. f

A weft carrier is charged with predetermined` length of weft material in accordance with the number of picks which it is desired to weave` with a particular size of weft carrier and metering means are provided, therefore, interposed between the supply and the refilling station, for passing from the supply a predetermined length of weft material for forming the charge of `a weftcarrier. The metering means may be controlled so that weft material is passed from the supply tothe refillingstation only when a weft carrier is at the refilling station;

In such a case the metering means may take the form of rollers which are driven Iby any suitable mechanism arranged automatically to drive the rollers asfvsoon as a weft carrier is at the refilling station and severing mechanism has severed the connection between-the weft just woven by the weft carrier and the supply, the weft material passing between the nip of the rollers;

Alternatively the metering means may be adapted to operate so that weft material is passed continuously from the supply to build up, between successive lchargings of a weft carrier, a reservoir containing a predetermined length of weft material. In this case the metering means may be rollers continuously rotating at a predetermined speed, throughout the operation of the loom, the speed being dependent on the ydesired predetermined length of weft material to be containedin the reservoir each time.

Preferably the charge of` weft material in afweft'carrier is sufiicient only for a number of picks less than 30, preferably less than l0. In this'respect, of course', as one of the objects of the invention is to reduce the size and weight of the weft carrier as much as possible, the minimum number of picks may beas low asl two but'may possibly be higher than 30 picks. The weft carrier may be charged with longer lengths of weft material, i.e., sufiicient material for lOO-or more picks, but there would be no real advantage in such a longer length being used because the weft carriers size and weightwould of necessity have to be increased in order to accommodate the greater length of weft material, and thus the speed of working would be reduced and the shed opening would have to be increased, and advantages gained bythe present invention would be lost.

The weft carrier may be driven acrossthe loom slay or raceboard by any suitable means. An example of such means is described in British patent specification No. 696,457 in which the weft carrier is reciprocated with a simple 'harmonic motion. However, the reciprocatory motion may be according tol other laws than the simple harmonic law, eg., it may be a motion with constant acceleration. Another particular example of meansV for driving the weft carrier isithat in which the reciprocations are produced by mechanism operating in accordi ance with Roberts straight line or'parallel motion.

The invention isl illustrated diagrammatically by way of example'in the' drawings accompanying the Provisional specification inV which:y

FigureV l isa plan View ofa loom slay or raceboard showing the two positions of each weft carrier during normal operation and at the refilling station;

Figure 2 is an explanatorydiagram of the weft carrier mechanism, including metering and charging means;

Figure 3 is an elevation of' a` mechanism for producing a simple harmonic reciprocating motion of means which drive the weft carrier;

' Figure 4- is anA elevation ofpart of a loom showing the' slay and means for reciprocating the weft carrier driving means;

Figure 5 is an end elevation of Figure'4;l

Figure 6 is an elevation of a weft carrier in position on the slay of a loom, showing the means for driving the weft carrier across the loom' slay; and

Figure 7 is an end sectional elevation of Figure 6.

Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are similar to Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of British patent specilication No. 696,457 but show certain modifications which willhereinafter be described.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to Figure l, numeral l indicates a loom slay on which is shown four separate weft carrier positions 2, 3, 4, and 5. The slay is provided with two weft carriers, indicated by the letters A and B, both of which yare aty all times on the slay, and each occupying one of the four positions shown or moving between these positions;

The two outer positions, 2 and 5, will, hereinafter, be referred to as refilling stations, andthe two inner positions, 3 and 4 will, hereinafter, be referred to as weaving positions. The twvo weft carriers operate across the slay in the same tracks as each other and when one is in the weaving position as shown by weft carrier B,` the other is at a refilling station as shownby weft carrier A` so thatv the weft carriers do not pass each other at anytime during the loom operation. Thus weft carrier A- although reciprocating across the slay to thev extremek position 4 willl never reach the position' 5. Similarly, with* weft carrier B, although this will reach the position 3 during its reciprocatory movement across the slay it will not reach the position 2.

The movement of the two weft-carriers will now be described. With the two weft carriers in' the* positions shown on Figure l, as the loom isset into`operation, weft carrier B will reciprocate -between positions 3 and 4 laying weft in the warp threads, not shown inl Figure l for the purpose of clarity, in the normal manner of weaving until a predetermined number of picks carriedV by the weft carrier hasl been inserted. When thev charge of weft material carried Iby the weft carrier `is exhausted, weft carrier B will be moved, -by a mechanism to be hereinafterdescribed, to the refilling station 5.

Whilst weft carrier B has been reciprocating in the manner described weft carrier A has been'stationary at the' refilling station 2 being charged with a length of weft material in accordance with a method to be hereinafter described. The length of weft material to be charged into each weft carrier must, of course, be'carefully'metered, so that only sufficient weft material will be carried for an exact number of picks, this number having been determined before'the operation of the loom is begun. TheA predetermined length of weft material charged into each weft carrier may, perhaps, include a very small surplus. It will be appreciated that it is important that the length of weft material carried by each weft carrier should be'precisely determined so that, after the last pick has been inserted inthe war-p, the weft carrier shall be empty when it moves to its refilling station.

Immediately the weft carrier B is moved to refilling station 5, weft carrier A will, automatically,rbecome active and' will leave refilling station 2 and commence its reciprocatory movement between positions 3 and 4 until its charge of weft material is exhausted, whereupon it will be moved'beyond its eXtreme reciprocatory position 3 to the refilling station 2. Duringv hte operation of weft carrier A, weft carrier B has been charged with weft Inaterial at refilling station 5 and is ready to commence its weaving operation.

Thus, during operation of the loom, there is always one weft carrier weaving and one weft carrier being charged with a supply of weft material. Each chargingstation 2 and 5 is provided with its own independent supply of weft material, (not shown in Figure 1), from which supply the respective weft carrier receives its charge.

Reference will now be made to the explanatory diagram shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. In this diagram, 6 represents a portion of woven cloth consisting of a warp C and a weft D. v The weft D, at one end indicated at 7, is connected to a supply of weft material 8 shown in the form of a large stationary'cone or cheese from which the weft material 9 is led through an eye 10, to pass between metering rollers 11 and 11a and through a guide tube 12. 13 represents a weft carrier which comprises a tubular body 14 pointed at its ends, and carrying a tubular weft holder 15 which is tapered at one end to form a relatively small orifice 16, and is completely open at its other end 75. 17 represents a filter element which is fitted in the open end of the weft holder 15 and may, for example, be of woven wire, although any other suitable material may be used. The criterion of suitability of the lter material is that whilst permitting air to pass through it, it will not permit the passage of weft material. 71 represents a vacuum pipe which is connected to a source of vacuum 72 such as, for example, any suitable air exhaust pump. 73 and 73a represent severing means in the form of guillotine blades. The end of the weft in the woven portion of cloth 6 is indicated at 74.

The manner in which the weft carrier 13 is charged with weft material, the manner in which the amount of the charge is determined, and the weaving operation of the weft carrier will now be described with reference to Figure 2.

For the purposes of explanation it will be assumed that the portion of cloth 6 has just been woven by the weft carrier 13, which weft carrier corresponds to weft carrier A of Figure 1. The number of picks inserted in the warp C, shown in the diagram' as eight, represents the length of the charge of weft material carried by the weft carrier and determined before the operation of the loom was begun. The weft carrier 13, having exhausted its charge, has been moved, as described hereinbefore with reference to Figure l, to its refilling position with the open end 75 of the weft holder 15 pressed against the open end of the vacuum pipe 71 which is formed with a bell mouth so as to receive snugly the end 75 of the weft holder, and with the orifice 16 of the weft holder situated adjacent to one yend of the guide tube 12. Movement of the weft carrier to its refilling station has left behind the surplus end 74 of the previous charge of weft material and this end may be left protruding from the cloth as shown, or it may, if desired, but cut off close to the selvedge of the cloth by suitable severing means, such as guillotine blades similar to blades 73 and 73a. The other end of the newly woven charge of weft material is still connected to the supply 8 as hereinbefore described, and the metering rollers 11 and 11a are stationary.

With the weft supplying mechanism in the positions shown and described, the guillotine blades 73 and 73a are automatically set into operation by suitable timed mechanism, Vnot shown, but which may take any known form, and the woven charge of weft material is severed at 7 from the supply leaving a free end of weft material protruding from the end of guide tube 12 and hanging closely to orifice 16 of the weft holder 15.

The air exhaust pump 72 maintains a constant vacuum in vacuum pipe 71 and, therefore, air from the atmosphere enters orifice 16 of weft holder 15 at a substantial velocity whereby the free severed end of the weft supply is sucked into the weft holder. i

Simultaneously with the operation of the guillotine blades 73 and 73a, metering rollers 11 and 11a are automatically set into operation, also by suitable timed mechanism, (not shown, but which may be the same mechanism as that provided for the guillotine blades 73 and 73a or may be separate mechanism of any known form), and commence to rotate and feed the weft material from the supply 8 through the guide tube 12 to the weft carrier.

The filter element 17 within the weft holder 15 acts as a barrier to the passage of weft material from the weft holder although allowing the passage of air therethrough, and as the weft material is rapidly drawn into the weft holder, it arranges itself therein in a surprisingly orderly manner. It has been found that, provided the diameter of the tube forming the weft holder is properly selected with lrespect to its length, the weft material will coil itself neatly over the length of the inside of the tube so as to form, in effect, a coreless spool of the Said material.

The length of weft material to be sucked into the weft holder to form the charge for one operation of the weft carrier has, for the purpose of expanation, been predetermined as hereinbefore described, as sufficient for eight picks, and the metering rollers 11 and 11a are caused to continue their rotation and the feeding of the weft supply to the weft carrier, until the exact length of material required for the eight picks, plus the small surplus to form another end 74, has been drawn into the weft holder, whereupon the rollers automatically stop their rotation and are locked in the stationary position, gripping and holdingfirmly the weft supply.

Upon completion of the relling operation, the mechanism which will be hereinafter described, driving the weft carrier in its weft inserting Ireciprocatory movement, moves the weft carrier to the weaving position 3 (Figure l), and thereafter the weft carrier will be reciprocated between the weaving positions 3 and 4 (Figure l) inserting its charge of weft material in the warp C with the said charge of weft material still connected to the supply 8.

As the metering rollers are gripping the supply of weft material and thus preventing further feeding of the said material from the supply 8, the charge of weft material in the weft carrier is' payed out, as the weft carrier operates, by way of orifice 16 until its charge is exhausted, whereupon it will be moved, by its driving mechanism, to its refilling station to the position shown in Figure 2 and the cycle of operation will commence again with the severing, at 7, of the Woven weft material from its supply by the guillotine blades 73 and 73a.

Although the `operation just described with reference to Figure 2 has been performed by one weft carrier operating from only one side of the woven cloth, it will be appreciated, from what has hereinbefore been described with reference to Figure l, that the weft supplying mechanism described with reference to Figure 2, is duplicated on the other side, i.e., the right-hand side, of the loom, the said duplicate mechanism operating alternately with the one shown, so that at all times during loom operation one of the weft carriers is in weaving operation whilst the other is being charged at its refilling station with a supply of weft material.

Normally, there would be one cone or cheese of the weft material on each side of the loom for each weft supplying mechanism but it will be understood that there could be more than one if it is desired to weave in different colours so that, for example, a weft carrier which has completed a weft inserting operation carrying one colour of weft material can be next relled with a charge of weft material of a different colour. Suitable mechanism would be provided for effecting the change over from one colour to another and each supply of a dilerenig colour would have its own metering rollers and guide tu e.

'I'he loom isV equipped with the usual mechanism for effecting the shedding, picking, and taking-up operations,

'97 which mechanism may follow conventional lines. The picking mechanism for driving the weft carrier across the slay or raceboard will, of course, include suitable mechanism for causing automatic lengthening of the traverse of each weft carrier at a predetermined stage in its reciprocatory movement, Le., when its charge is exhausted, so that each weft carrier is moved to its reiilling station at exactly the correct moment.

One means for driving the weft carrier is, as hereinbefore stated, that described in British patent speciiication No. 696,457. In this said means the weft carrier is moved by, and under the continuous control of a traveller which reciprocates underneath the warp threads, and has at least one pair of wheels forming between them a recessed seating for snugly receiving, with the warp threads interposed, a wheel supporting the weft carrier. The pair of wheels is adapted to project up above the slay of the loom so as to hump the warp threads to an extent which is controlled by auxiliary wheels adapted to run along the underside of the slay. The auxiliary wheels are urged against the underside of the slay by an underneath pair of wheels running upon a supporting surface and resiliently pulled towards each other. A iiexible sheet may also be interposed between the pair of traveller wheels and the weft carrier wheel so as to provide an elastic track for the traveller wheels and the weft carrier wheel, and in this case instead of there being auxiliary wheels running along the underside of the slay and urged against the said underside by an underneath pair of resiliently controlled wheels as just described, a single wheel or pair of wheels may be used to support the traveller, the single wheel or pair of wheels running upon the said supporting surface. The traveller and the weft carrier may have magnetically attracting means for urging the weft carrier supporting part to nest in the recessed seating provided by the traveller. The traveller is positively reciprocated across the loom raceboard with a simple harmonic motion, which motion is produced by a Scotch Yoke mechanism which rotates a wheel about which is entrained a belt whose ends are connected to the traveller.

For the purposes of the present invention the means for producing the reciprocatory motion is slightly modiiied so that each weft carrier may be automatically moved to its relling station when its picking operation is completed. The modification consists in the replacement of the Scotch Yoke mechanism by cam means and will now be described with reference to Figure 3.

A shaft 18 is caused to rotate with a constant angular velocity by suitable means, not shown, such as an electric motor, or by gearing or belt drive from the main driving motor of the loom, and secured to the shaft 18 is a cam 19. A cam follower 20 in the form of a roller is rotatably mounted at one end of a rod 21 which is supported in bearings 22 so as to be free to move only in an axial direction. The other end of rod 21 carries a collar 23 spaced from the right-hand bearing 22 and between which bearing and collar is interposed a spring 24 Whose action is to maintain the cam follower 2t) in contact at all times withV the periphery of cam 19.

Rod 21 has a thickened portion 25 in which rack teeth 26 are formed and engage with similar teeth 27 formed on a pinion 28 which is mounted on the axle 29 (see also Figure 4) of a wheel 30 of larger diameter than the pinion, the axle being supported in suitable bearings, not shown. A flexible wire or band 31 is passed around the wheel 3) several times, the wire or band being secured to the wheel by any suitable means in order to prevent slip, and the two ends of the wire are passed around four idler Wheels 40 (see Figure 4), identically formed, which are situated two at each end of a hollow square sectioned loom slay 4l the upper side of which forms a weft carrier raceboard, and the two ends of the wire or band are secured to the ends of a traveller generally indicated at 42 (see Figures 4 and 5).

The manner in which the travelled is mounted in the slay and the manner in which the -weft carrier is driven by the' traveller will be described later.

The cam 19 is formed with a dwell 32 extending over of its circumference and with four equally formed depressions 33 equally spaced around the remaining half of its circumference, soV as to leave three lobes 34. The radins, indicated at R1 of cam 19 at each of these three lobes is less than the radius, indicated at R2, of cam 19 at the dwell 32, the amount of the difference being in the same proportion as the difference in distance between the' weaving position 3 and the reiilling station 2 (Figure l) and the weaving position 4 and relling station 5 (Figurze 1).. j

In the operation of the loom, during one rotation of shaft 18, cam 19,' through the cam follower 20, willV cause the rody 21 to reciprocate axially eight times as determined by the number of lobes '34 and' depressions` 33 provided on the cam 19.

The eight reciprocations will be effected during one half of the rotation of cam 19 from point E to point F in a clockwiseV direction, and for the remaining half rotation the rod 21, through the cam follower 20, will be held stationary in its extreme position as shown in Figure 3 in contact with the `dwell 32 of cam 19;

Through the'rack'and'pi'nion gearing 26, 27, 28, the

wheel' 30 will be caused to rotate -alternately to the right and tothe left,fits motion 4also obeying a simple harmonic law. Rotation of the wheel '30 will move the wire or band 31 accordingly, and through it the traveller driving the web carrier across the slay. Thus the traveller and the weft carrier will be reciprocated eight times according to a simple harmonic law between weaving positions 3 and 4 (Figure l), the weft carrier inserting eight picks in the warp C during this movement, and then the weit carrier, Ydriven by its traveller, will be moved to its respective refilling station 2 or 5 (Figure l) this position being determined by the dwell 32 of cam 19. The amplitude of the oscillations of the traveller and weft carrier may conveniently be adjusted to suit particular widthof cloth by selecting a suitable ratio of diameter vof the wheel 30 to the pinion 28.

lThe numbery of lobes and depressions of cam 19 has beenv Vgiven as three and four respectively merely las an example for the purposes of explanation and so as to be consistent with the remainder of the description and, it will lbe appreciated, that the number of lobes and consequent depres'sions will be chosen in accordance with the number of picks desired to be inserted in one operation of a weft carrier.

Only one mechanism for producing the simple harmonic motion has been described, but it will be appreciated that, in accordance with the invention, such mechanism may be duplicated, there being one mechanism on either side of the loom to effect the alternate weft carrier motion hereinbefore described, or alternatively, a common mechanism for producing the reciprocatory motion mayA be employed to supply the drive to the weft carrier on each side of the loom. As a convenient arrangementy the cam 19 for each weft carrier motion mechanism may be mounted on the same driven shaft 18, the two cams, of course, being displaced from each other angularly by 180.

It may be desirable in order to allow time for the healds to change and for the beating-up operation, to allow the weft carriers to rest momentarily at their extreme weaving positions, i.e., 3 and 4 as shown in Figure l. In such a case the lobes 34 and depressions 33 will be provided with the appropriate contour on their peripheries so as to. effect dwells at the required points in the weft carrier operation.

The weft carrier driving mechanism will now be de scribed.

In the following description the term wheel is not intended to exclude a roller, and the term roller is not intended to exclude a wheel.

Referring now to Figures 4, 5, 6, and 7, the hollow slay 41 is supported in a conventional manner by slay swords 43 (Figures 4 and 5) which pivot about a point Z at the intersection of two center lines A and B. The point P on the periphery of the wheel 30 and the wire or band 31 extending therefrom are arranged to be in line with the pivotal point Z so that the slay may pivot without altering the effective length of the wire or band 31 although the wheel 30 remains in a fixed plane. The object of the pivoting of the slay is to allow the reed shown at 44 to beat-up the weft threads in the usual way during weaving. Apart from these modifications the general construction and layout of the slay is in accordance with normal practice.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7 the traveller generally indicated at 42 consists of two longitudinal plates 45, only one of which is shown in Figure 6, spaced apart from each other so as 4to receive between them four wheels 46 positioned two at each end of the two plates 45. The wheels are mounted on transverse axles 48 (only one of which is shown in Figure 7) the ends of which are secured in the two plates 45 and assist to maintain the two plates in their spaced relationship.

Y The slay 41, as previously stated, is a hollow structure of square section in which the traveller 42 is mounted for reciprocation, and the upper surface of the slay forming the raceboard has a longitudinal gap 49 therein extending throughout the length of the slay, through which the wheels 46 of the traveller mounted in the slay are adapted to project. A wheel 50 is attached to the center of the length of the traveller by means of plates 51, the lower ends of which support a transverse axle 47 on which is mounted the wheel 50. The wheel 50 is adapted to run along the bottom inner surface 52 of the slay 41, the wheel 50 forming the sole support of the traveller in the slay.

Means 53 are provided for attaching the ends of the wire or band 31 to the traveller at each end thereof.

A weft carrier 13 constructed as hereinbefore described is adapted to be moved by, and under the control of, the traveller 42, and is provided with two rollers 55 each mounted within the weft carrier body on a transverse axle 56. Each of the rollers 55 is shown as having a diameter equal to thatof the traveller wheels 46, but it will be appreciated that this is not a necessity and the ratio of the diameters of the rollers 55 and wheels 46 may be so selected as to make for a convenient ratio between the horizontal and vertical components of the accelerating force. The rollers 55 are so positioned in the weft carrier body that when the weft carrier is placed upon the raceboard immediately above the traveller 42 each roller will enter respectively the recessed seating formed between one of the pairs of travelers wheels 46 mounted on each end of the traveller and lit snugly therein, with the warp threads, indicated by dotted line 57, interposed therebetween.

It will be seen from Figure 6 that a part of the underside of each weft carrier body at each end is cut away so as to accommodate the portions of the wheels 46 projecting above the raceboard, and also so that a greater portion of each roller 55 projects from the weft carrier body.

A thin flexible sheet 58 of, for example, rubber, is situated on the upper surface of the slay and extends across the full length of the raceboard so that the warp threads 57 rest upon the sheet, the flexible sheet providing an elastic track for the wheels 46 and rollers 55.

The weft carrier is provided with a pair of soft iron armatures 59 positioned in the lower part of its body which are adapted to co-operate with a pair of horseshoe magnets 60 carried by the traveller so as to complete a magnetic circuit. A small air gap is left between the armatures and magnets to allow the free passage therebetween of the warp threads 57 and the exible sheet 5S. It will be understood that these magnetic devices are not essential, and may well be omitted, if desired.

Guiding means are located over the slay to positively constrain the weft carrier to maintain its position on the traveller with its rollers 55 nesting in the recessed seatings formed by the travellers wheels 46. Such a guiding means is shown in Figure 6 and takes the form of a number of rollers or wheels 61 rotatably mounted in a frame 62 secured by suitable means (not shown) over the slay throughout its entire length at a height sufficient for the rollers or wheels to be effective in their constraining action, without retarding the travel of the weft carrier.

In the operation of the weft carrier driving means let it be supposed that the traveller is moved to the right in Figure 6, under the influence of the wire or band 31, functioning as previously described. Movement of the traveller to the right will cause the travellers wheels 46 to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction by virtue of their frictional adhesion with the thin flexible sheet 58. This rotation will in turn cause the weft carrier rollers 55 to rotate in a clockwise direction due to `their frictional adhesion with the thin flexible sheet 58 and the weft carrier will move to the right keeping its position above the travveller. The weight or rnass of the weft carrier imposes a definite frictional grip between the weft carrier rol-1ers 55 and the flexible sheet 58 and between the travellers wheels 46 and the said flexible sheet, assisted -by the constraining action of the rollers or wheels 61.

The line of warp threads and the flexible sheet 58 pass between the weft carrier rollers 55 and travellers wheels 46. Because of the fact that at any instance a point at the top of each 'travellers wheel 46 is stationary with respect to the warp threads and flexible sheet under which each wheel is immediately passing, the warp threads pass between the said wheels and rollers without being disturbed in a lateral direction. In a vertical direction, however, they are lifted a small amount equal to the extent to which the travellers wheels 46 project above the slay.

As well as the rollers or wheels 61 the weft carrier itself may have mounted in the upper part of its body a number of like rollers or wheels, indicated at 63 and varying on the underside of the guide frame 62. Also the guide frame 62 may form part of the reed.

A pair of wheels may be used instead ofthe single wheel 50 of the traveller, vand this pair'of wheels may, if desired, be mounted in an inclined plane to the inner bottom surface of the slay so that the lower wheel would run on the said inner bottom surface of the slay, whilst the upper wheel would run along the underside of the upper surface of the slay. In this case the said upper wheel would be placed to one side of the traveller or, if desired, the said upper wheel may be replaced by a pair of wheels one mounted on either side of the traveller.

By such a construction of weft carrier driving mechanism noise of operation of the loom is almost entirely eliminated and a very high rate of working is achieved, in spite of the low value of maximum velocity of the weft carrier.

It will be understood that the rollers 55 and wheels 46 may, if desired, be provided with tyres of rubber or other suitable material so as to increase their frictional adhesion with the rubber sheet 58, and also that wheel 50 may be provided with a similar ytyre or a periphery formed with serrations or teeth to mesh with similar serrations or teeth formed on the slay surface 52.

It will be appreciated that many modifications may be made to the weft supplying mechanism of this invention. For example, instead of the tubular weft holder of the weft carrier being parallel to the weft carriers length, it may be positioned at right angles thereto, in which case the shape of the weft carrier would be modified to accommodate the weft holder in this position. The open end 75 of the weft holder will then slide over the end of 11 the vacuum pipe 71 which will be disposed horizontally, instead of vertically. Alsoy the weft carrier may be substantially triangular in shape instead of rectangular as shown.

In a further example `the constraining rollers 61 in the guide frame 62"may be dispensed with, and the weftrcarrier may be maintained in its position on the traveller solely by the rollers or wheels 63 mounted in the weft carrier itself.

What is claimed is:

1. In a loom adapted to operate with a large stationary supply of weft material, a weft supplying mechanism comprising a weft carrier adapted to cooperate in drawing by suction the free end of a length of weft material presented by `said supply and a charge of a predetermined length of saidjmaterial from `said supply, said carrier being adapted to carry said charge, means for causing said carrier to traverse the warp a predetermined nurnber of picks yuntil its charge is exhausted and then move to a rellingstation on the loom to have its charge replenished from said source of weft material, and means for again causing the weft carrier to traverse the warp a vpredetermined number of picks -until its charge is exhausted.

2. A weft supplying mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the weft carrier comprises a hollow tubular container having an oriiice `at one end through which the charge of weft material is drawn by suction when the weft carrier is at the refilling station.

3. A weft supplying mechanism `according to claim 2 which further comprises a suction applying device, and wherein said hollow container has an orifice at its other end adapted to cooperate with said suction applying device to assert the necessary suction on the charge of weft material.

4. A weft supplying mechanism according to claim 3, wherein an' air permeable member adapted to allow the passage of air and the application of suction but prevent passage of the charge of weft material therethrough is provided in the hollow container.

5. In a loom adapted to operate with a large stationary supply of weft material, a weft supplying mechanism comprising a Vweft carrier adapted to cooperate in drawing the free end of a length of weft material presented by such a supply and a charge of a predetermined length of said material from said supply, said carrier being adapted to carry said charge, means for causing the weft '12 carrier to traverse the warp apredetermined number of picks while one end of said `charge remains connected to the stationary supply, the number of picks depending upon the length of the charge of weft material, automatic means for directing said weft carrier to a refilling station when its charge is exhausted, automatic means for severing' the'connection between the weft, just woven, and said supply, automatic means for replenishing the exhausted weft carrier with another charge of weft material while the weft carrier is at the refilling station, and automatic means for again causing the weft carrier to traverse the warp a predetermined number of picks depending upon the length ofv its charge of weft material.

6. A weft supplying mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the means forV replenishing the exhausted weft carrier includes means for applying a suction Ito said carrier to draw the severed end' from the supply of weft material, left on completion of the picks of said carrier, into the carrier to commence the charging thereof.

7. A weft supplying mechanism according to claim 5, which comprises means to prevent a weft carrier in the course of its weaving operation, fromV drawing weft material from its supply.

8'. A weft supplying mechanism according to claim 5, which comprises metering means interposed between the supply and the refilling station, for passing from the supplyv a predetermined length of weft material for forming the charge of a weft carrier.

9. A weft supplying mechanism according to claim 8, wherein the metering means comprises rolls automatically driven as soon `as the weft carrier is at the relling station and the connection between the weft, just woven, by the weft carrier and supply has been severed.

10. A weft supplying mechanism according to claim 1 adapted to operate with and hold a charge of weft material suficient only for a number of picks less than 30.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,058,113 Turner Oct. 20, 1936 2,662,556 SvatyV Dec. 15, 1953 2,770,261 Turner Nov. 13, 1956 2,799,295 Iuillard et al July 16, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 546,143 Great Britain June 30, 1942 way-L' mn... 

